Sitz bath



Aug. 9, 1960 S. SAULSON SITZ BATH Filed April 10. 1959 ATTORNEY ablesitz bath for use in therapy and other care of the types set forth,c'onstructed to meet the above-mentioned requirements and otherwise toavoid the shortcornings and disadvantages of the stationary, mobile andportable sitz baths heretofore proposed. v

The invention also aims to provide a sitz bath of this character, whichwill lend itself t use in hopsitals as well as in homes, and which maybe inexpensively fabricated frorn various materials suitable for thepurpose.

According to the invention, there is provided a sitz bath consistingessentially of a basin configured and dimensioned so as to enable it tobe supported at its upper marginal edge, upon laterally opposed portionsof the rim of the standard or conventional toilet bowl, in a positionsuch that the body of the basin extending down into the toilet bowl isspaced several inches from the rim of the toilet bowl at the fro i1t andrear thereof. The side Wall of the basin is provided adjacent its uppermargin with one or more openings to perrnit liquid from the basin tooverflow into the toilet bowl, and also with an enlarged openingdimensioned and arranged for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Wl1en the bowl thus constn1cted is positioned on the toilet bowl, Withthe afore-mentioned elongated opening facing the freut of the toiletbowl, a atient occupying a sitting position over the basin will beenabled to have at band means for selectively flowing water into thebasin or for diverting it directly into the toilet bowl during thesoaking period in which the perineal regions are immersed in the basin.T0 that endwith the basin of proper dimensions, the outlet of a flexiblehose connected with a relatively remote water faucet of a lavatory orother bathroorn fixture may be extended down through the space betweenthe upper edge of the basin and the inner' periphery of the toilet bowland inserted through the aforer'rientioned elongated opening so thatwater from the faucet Will flow directly into the basin, or the outer.

end of the hose may be withdrawn from the opening and pointed downwardlyin said space so that the flow of water from the faucet may be diverteddirectly into the toilet bowl.

Thus, the temperature of the Water in the basin may be adjusted fromtirne to time, according to the patients needs, during the period inwhich the patient is in the sitting position occupied during theimmersion and soaking of the perineal regiolls of the body in the watercontained in the basin. Also, by providing for the entry of the waterinto the basin at a point adjacent its bottom, the patient is enabled,by continuing the flow of water into the basin while seated thereon, togain the soothing and other beneficial efiects of having the perinealareas immersed in Water that is in a state of motion, as compared to aquiescent body of water.

As indicated, the flexible hose may be connected to a Water faucet of alavatory at a more or less rernote distance from the toilet bowl. Inorder to comply with the sanitary codes in effect in many communitieswith respect to the connection of plumbing fixtures to the water supplysystem, a suitable antisiphoning device may be interposed between thefaucet and the inlet end of the flexible hose, to insure against back-siphonage of water from the sitz bath to the water supply system.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be morereadily understood fron1 the detailed illustrating means for connectingthe same With a faucet of a lavatory o1 other bathroom fixture;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section, partly broken away, taken along lines22 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the-basin per se; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modified form of thebasin.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, numeral 10 designates aconventional toilet bowl having an upper portion 11 with an inwardlyextending rim 12 having its uppermost surface 13 disposed in asubstantially horizontal plane, though usually rounded off at the edgesthere0f as shown. The conventional seat for the toilet bowl, usuallyhinged adjacent the rear end of the toilet bowl, is not illustrated inthe drawing. The sitz bath of the invention is prferably designed to besupported in its operative position 011 the uppermost surface of thebowl, with the seat in fully raised'position away from the bowl.However, the sitz bath may be coufigured and dimensioned so as to beselectively supported either on the seat or on the rim of the bowl.

The sitz bath proper, indicated generally'by numeral 20, comprises abasin having a flange or rim 22 at, its upper margii1. The basin niay bemade of stanless steel, alurninum{or other suitable metal, o1 of inoldedsynthetic plastic resin of suitable type, porcelain or enamel ware, or,in certain instances, of molded fibrous material.

The basin may be either of perfectly round or of oval shape in itshorizontal c0nfiguration so as to be usable with the conventionaloval-shaped toilet bowls. If the basin is formed in a wund shapeitshould have an 'outside diameter atits flange, substantially in excessof the minor axis of conventional toilet bowls, but suflicientlylessthan the major axis of such conventional toilet bowls so that whileenabling the basin to be supiis indicated by numeral 25. T0 the sameend, if the basin is oval shape, the minor axis of the oval, measured'al: the marginal flange 22, will be sornewhat greater than the minoraxis of the conventional oval-shaped toilet bowls, Whereas the majoraxis of the oval-shaped basin will be substantially less than the majoraxis of the couventional toilet bowls.

An opening or openings 30 are formed in the wall of the basin adjacentthe upper margin thereof, desirably at diametrically opposite locations.These openings may be of any desired shape and size, to provide foroverflow of water from the basin into the toilet bowl at a rateconsonant with the rate at which water may be flowe 'into the basin bythe patient. V

In the specific form illustrated in the drawing, four of such openingsare illustrated at each of diametrically opposite locations.

Also formed in the Wall of the basin, adjacent its upper margin, is anelongated opening 33, dimensioned to perrnit ready insertion,withdrawal, and free sliding or rocking movement of the outlet endportion of a flexible hose 38 whose opposite end is attached to a faucet40 of. a lavatofy or other bathroom fixture.

As best illustrated in Fig. 2, the outlet end portion of the hose 36, o1of a fitting connected thereto, may be extended down through the space25 and inserted through the elongated opening 33 so that the disChargeopening 42 of the hose o1 fitting may be disposed as close to the bottom44 of the basis as desired, Thus, With theb'asin positioned as shoWn,ie. with the opening 33 facing the 7 freut of the bowl, a patient seatedon thebasin with legs spread slightly apart, Will have the hose disposedbetween the thighs and closeat band for readily moving the outlet endportion of the hose,* either to insert or withdraW it from the opening33, orte slide 'or rock it therein.

Assurning that water of the desired temperatureis flowing from thefaucet 40 into the flexible hose positioned as shown in ful1 1ines inFig. 2, water will flow int the basin. When the water 1eve1 in the basinreaches the opening o1 openings 30, it wi1l overflow from these openingsinto the toilet bowl. flow of water into the basin to continue duringthe time the patient is soaking the perineal regions, the discharge andof the hose may be held within the basin in the position shown in Fig.2, or it may be slid from side to side o1 swung upward of downward, aspermitted by the opening 33. On the other band, should the patent, whilesitting With the perineal regions submerged in the bath, desire todiscoutinue the flow of water into the basin, it may be diverted o1by-passed directly :into the toilet bowl merely by withdrawing theoutlet end ortion of the hose through the opening 33 and positioning itso that it extends dovvnwardly in space 25 with its discharge opening 42pointed into the bowl as illustrated, for example, in dotted 1ines inFig. 2.

As will be observed, when the outlet and of the hose is disposed on theinterior of the basin, with its discharge opening 42 adjacent the bottomthereof, rapid mixing of incoming water with the water already in thebasin is facilitated, direct impingement of a stream of the incoming Water npon the buttocks of the patient 1's avoided, and the body of waterin the basin may be kept in a state of motion. At the Same time,splashing of any water over the top of the basin and 011 to the clothingof the patient is avoided.

A1: the conclusion of the desired per-iod of soaking of the perinealregions in the sitz bath, the atient may an'se "from the sitting ositionoccupied during the soaking period, turn off the flow of water at faucet40, remove the hose from the basin, and pour the contents of the basininto the toilet bowl.

Reference has been hereinabove made to the samtary codes in manycommunities with regard to connecting plumbing fixtures to the watersupply system. It is another advantage of the present invention that incompl.iance with such codes, anti-siphoning devices may readi- 1y beinterposed between the faucet and the in1et end of the flecible hose 38.One such device is illustrated in the companion joint application of thepresent applicant and Stanley H. Saulson, filed concurrently with theinstant apph'cation. Manifestly, other suitable forms of anti-siphoningdevices may be similarly employed in connection with the sitz bath cfthe present invention.

Fig. 4 illnstrates an embodiment of the invention wherein the basin 20is provided in the bottom Wall 44 thereof with a drain opening 51 whichmay be closed by a suitable plug 52, to which a chain or the like 53 maybe Should the atient desire the connected. The upper or free end of thechain may b 1ed eitner tnmugh one of the. openings 30 er throughseparate guide s1ot or the 1ike formed on the beisin sb' as extend overthe rim of the toilet bowl for grasping by the patient while in seatedposition over the basin,- to permit direct draining of the contents ofthe basin into the toilet bowl.

What is claimed is: v

l. A sitz bath for the purposes set forth, comprising a basin formed atits upper perirneter with an outwa1dlY extending flange, said basinbeing dimensioned at its upper margin to permit the flange to supportthe basin in depending position interiorly of a conventional ovalshapedtoilet bowl while leaving the basin spaced from the inner periphery ofthe rim cf such toilet bowl at the forward end of the latter, said basinhaving in the wall thereof, adjacent said upper margin, an overflowopening and an elongated opening, said last-named opening being'disposed at said forward end when the basin is positioned as aforesaidon a toilet bowl, and being larger than the overflow opening whereby oneand cf a flexible hose in said space between the basin and the innerperiphery of the rim of the toilet bowl may be inserted into andwithdrawn from the interior of the basin through said elongated opening.

2. A sitz bath as defined in claim l, wherein said basin is of circularshape.

3. A sitz bath as defined in claim 1, wherein said basin is oval-shapedand the elongated opening is substantially in alignrnent With the majoraxis of the oval.

4. A sitz bath as defined in claim l, wherein said basin has a drainopening in the bottom Wall thereof, said drain opening having arernovable closure plug, said plug havfing one end of a flexible memberconnected thereto for removing the same from said drain opem'ng, andmeans formed below the upper margin of the basin to receive the oppositeend of said flexible member.

References Cited in the fi1e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FranceFeb. 15, 1950

